Investigation of the operative response of a group of general dental practitioners to varying extents of proximal caries

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to assess the operative response of a representative sample of Irish General Dental Practitioners of various times since qualification to carious lesions of varying extent in both approximal surfaces of a lower left first molar tooth. 82 General Dental practitioners participated. The dentists were asked to treat 2 manikin teeth for minimal caries on both approximal surfaces extending to the enamel dentine junction, 2 teeth for caries extending approximately to half the thickness of the dentine and 2 teeth for caries extending more than 3/4 of the dentine thickness. Weight measurements were made of the tooth substance cut away. Mean volumes of tooth material removed ranged from 21 mm3 for minimal caries to 76 mm3 for the largest amount of caries. A two-factor analysis of variance revealed that the type of cavity preparation the dentist used had a significant effect on the volume of tooth material removed for all three extents of caries. Time since graduation had a significant effect on the volume of tooth material removed for the least extent of caries, but not for the other categories of carious involvement.